special supplement
THE TRIBE AND CITY AND COUNTY OFFICIALS HOPE THE CASINO WILL BE
AN ECONOMIC DRIVER IN THE REGION AND DRAW CUSTOMERS FROM THE
GREATER SACRAMENTO AREA AND EAST BAY TO STAY IN ITS 12-STORY
HOTEL AND USE ITS CONFERENCE CENTER, DINING AND SPA AMENITIES.
T
he scenery will soon change along
Highway 99 in Elk Grove where a
partially built mall was recently
demolished. The Wilton Rancheria
tribe will break ground there for its Wil-
ton Rancheria Resort and Casino later this
year, according to Raymond Hitchcock,
tribe chair. The tribe and city and county
officials hope the casino will be an eco-
nomic driver in the region and draw cus-
tomers from the greater Sacramento area
and East Bay to stay in its 12-story hotel
and use its conference center, dining and
spa amenities.
The project will take about 18-24
months to complete, Hitchcock says,
and cost around $400 million. “We are
excited for the future possibilities our
project will bring ... not only for our mem-
bers, but for all the people of the Sacra-
mento region,” he says via e-mail. The
tribe, whose membership is more than
700, are descendants of the Miwok and
Nisenan people.
The federal government terminated
Wilton Rancheria’s federal recognition in
1958, and it wasn’t reinstituted until 2009.
The tribe then began the process of con-
ducting environmental studies and ac-
quired land for building the casino on the
west side of Highway 99, north of Kam-
merer Road. The tribe is working with Boyd
Gaming, a casino and hospitality company,
to construct and manage the facility.
The complex won’t include leasable
retail space, but Jason Behrmann, Elk
Grove’s city manager, says business own-
ers would “be smart to take advantage of
entertainment and retail opportunities”
nearby because of the casino.
The resort is expected to bring more
than 1,000 jobs — hiring from inside and
outside the tribe — and help the tribe
become self-sufficient. According to the
tribe’s website, decades without feder-
al recognition had a negative effect on
Wilton Rancheria members: The median
income is around $20,000, and the un-
employment rate is 62 percent. “We in-
tend on having better than standard pay
for all positions,” Hitchcock says, and will
“adopt the future minimum wage hike be-
fore it goes into effect.”
The tribe signed a memorandum of
understanding with Elk Grove and Sacra-
mento County that included $8.5 million
in one-time roadway infrastructure costs
and $500,000 (Elk Grove) and $100,000
(county) annually for road maintenance
due to anticipated increased traffic. The
tribe will annually provide $100,000 each
to a local charitable organization, county
drug-prevention programs and domestic-
violence programs, and $400,000 to the
Elk Grove Unified School District, $50,000
of which goes to the Native American Edu-
cation Program.” n
Susan Herman is a freelance writer and
editor in Sacramento. Her website is www.
rhubyeditorial.com.
The Wilton Rancheria
Resort and Casino
302 hotel suites and
guest rooms
Spa and fitness area
Restaurants and
fine dining
Ballroom, conference
and entertainment venue
Pool
Retail stores
Movie theater
June 2019 | comstocksmag.com
89